EMU Basketball Men Hoping To Catch Another Round Of Lightning
Update: After a , the Runnin Royals were 1-2 within the ODAC and 8-4 overall. The team returns to the court after the holiday break on Jan. 5 at Emory & Henry College.
EMU men鈥檚 basketball will quickly stop short of directly comparing this year鈥檚 team with his 2009-10 team which made the program鈥檚 only NCAA Tournament appearance.聽 But it鈥檚 hard not to compare them.
In 2009-10, the Runnin Royals returned all five of their starters from a 15-11 campaign and vaulted to the Elite Eight in the national tourney, finishing with a final record of 25-5 and a No. 4 national ranking.聽 This year, Eastern Mennonite returns all five starters from a 12-15 team, and Dean is brimming with optimism.聽 And he will compare that.
鈥淎fter the 15-11 year, going into the next year I thought we were going to be good,鈥� said Dean.聽 鈥淏ut never in my wildest imagination did I see those guys ascending to that level of play.聽 I didn鈥檛 see fourth in the country coming.聽 But to be honest, I鈥檓 just as optimistic now as I was then.聽 Can you catch lightning in a bottle twice?聽 I don鈥檛 know, but it鈥檚 certainly something we鈥檒l strive for.鈥�
The Royals are perfect at 4-0 since beginning the season on Nov. 16.
Women鈥檚 Basketball Hoping To Live Up To Own Expectations
Update: After an exciting , the Lady Royals were 2-1 within the ODAC and 5-4 overall. Play continues through the holiday break as the ladies square off against St. Mary’s College of Maryland on January 2.
Last year a young EMU women鈥檚 basketball team got on a roll and finished with a 22-4 record, tied for second-best in program history.聽 Yet the Royals lost in the ODAC Tournament semifinals and missed out on the NCAA Tournament.
knew he had a talented crew last winter, but with just three upperclassmen on the roster, Griffin didn鈥檛 expect the explosion of wins his team earned.
鈥淚 was very surprised considering how young we were and what we had lost,鈥� he said.聽 鈥淭hings just sort of fell into place.鈥�
This year the eighth-year mentor returns his top six players, including all five starters. 聽Griffin acknowledges that returning core triggers an extra layer of pressure. ()
鈥淚t means that expectations are high from ourselves and from others,鈥� said Griffin.聽 鈥淎nd it means that we do have experience, which is why those expectations are so high.聽 I think everybody expects we鈥檙e going to be good and so there鈥檚 a pressure.聽 Our schedule is a lot tougher this year, but I think that pressure and schedule can be a good motivator.聽 At the end of the day it鈥檚 basketball and we just need to go play, try to improve and see what happens.鈥�